1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to combustion equipment and especially internal combustion engines, and more particularly to pollution control methods with ambient condition responsive means, including a communication network for verification of emission compliance.
2. Description of Related Art
Emission of carbon dioxide from combustion engines, and subsequent accumulation in the atmosphere, contributes to global climate change. Reduced amounts of carbon dioxide in engine exhaust provides a global environmental benefit as well as economic value from reduced fuel consumption. There are numerous methods and devices known to those skilled in the art for achievement of low emission of carbon dioxide, but many have the undesired effect of preventing compliance with emission regulations for ozone precursors.
On some days, local air quality in a given metro area is unhealthful due to an excess concentration of tropospheric ozone. One remedy for this local environmental condition is a reduction in the fraction of ozone precursors within engine exhaust. The prior art uses full-time engine emission control devices for ozone precursor reduction to receive engine or vehicle certification by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Clean Air Act and the Clean Air Act Amendment.
On a very limited number of hours on some days, local air quality in a given metro area is very unhealthful or even hazardous due to an extreme excess concentration of tropospheric ozone. One remedy for this local environmental condition is certification for ultra-low fraction of ozone precursors within engine exhaust. The prior art uses full-time emission control devices for very-low ozone precursor emission to receive certification by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Clean Air Act and the Clean Air Act Amendment in regions such as California where additional ozone precursor reduction is required by local air quality regulations.
The overall effect of compliance with EPA emission certification is usually a net reduction in engine fuel efficiency combined with an increase in carbon dioxide emissions for a given amount of economic activity. This increase in the relative amount of carbon dioxide emissions is detrimental to the global environmental objective of stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide.
Prior art methods and devices for exhaust pollution control are fixed and independent of the ambient air quality and are unresponsive to a forecast of future ambient air quality. When a local metro area is in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency standards for healthful air, a fixed mode engine control system will produce an excess fraction of carbon dioxide in the engine exhaust while producing a fraction of ozone precursors lower than necessary for maintenance of healthful air.
This poses a dilemma for designers of pollution control equipment. Some techniques for reduction of ozone precursors, such as retarded injection timing for direct injection engines, will diminish beyond necessity the oxides of nitrogen exhaust fraction while increasing the carbon dioxide fraction. Thus, local environmental conditions are not improved, while global environmental conditions are diminished.